Feminism and Defensive Teaching

I do not live in a world of misogyny. As my husband passed by my desk as he was emptying the trash, he mentioned that I should include that fact in my blog.

If the axiology of feminism is based on the idea of equal treatment, the producers of the film on feminism are in the dark. The number one thought going through my mind as I was watching it was "Look at all those very thin, very pretty women being used to break a stereotype of a feminist as an aggressive, somewhat masculine person. It was overkill. Where were the unfashionably dressed, unprofessional coifed, unelegant average women of the world in that movie? Where were the minorities. Where were women with disabilities? I felt like I was watching a movie based on the princess myth. However, in looking for images of feminists, there is only one dark-skinned women even visible in the second picture, and she is way in the back. Is this maybe a manifestation of the individualism of white culture? Hispanic and African American cultures are much more communal.


I think classism and privilege have much to do with individual women's perceptions of deligitimization. I grew up with a mother who was a registered nurse. Although she stayed home until I was in 5th or 6th grade, my basic memory was of her working in a profession that she loved. I did not grow up instilled with an sense of oppression or feelings of exploitation of women. I have always felt free to pursue my interests - at least I have not felt that gender was a factor in my way. But then, my chosen profession is one in which equality of pay is built in. Of course, being white and middle class speaks volumes. I was not even aware of my privileged position until entering this program. So, using middle/upper class, basically white women in a film to represent those who do feel oppressed is quite a slap in the face to them - I think.

The more I think about it, the more I am interested in teacher training, precisely to combat "defensive teaching." Again, I've been fortunate enough to work in a school where I am free to develop lessons and am not bound to a curriculum or pacing guide. My interest, especially, is to empower new teachers to promote students' critical thinking, creativity, and real learning regardless of the official curricular requirements. Teachers should never feel that they cannot find ways to creatively infuse real learning, even in a stifling curriculum. However, I will need to experience the actual trauma of those restrictive environments before I will be able to really address the problem. I expect I will be doing a lot of observing in the next year or so. I would not want to teach new teachers from a position of privileged naivety.